A
pulse wave or
pulse train is a kind of non-sinusoidal
waveformWaveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a solid, liquid or gaseous medium.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph of the...
that is similar to a
square waveA square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels.- Origins and uses :...
, but does not have the symmetrical shape associated with a perfect square wave. It is a term common to
synthesizerAn analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of valve and electro-mechanical technologies...
programming, and is a typical waveform available on many synths. The exact shape of the wave is determined by the
duty cycleIn telecommunications and electronics, the duty cycle is the fraction of time that a system is in an "active" state. In particular, it is used in the following contexts:...
of the oscillator. In many synthesizers, the duty cycle can be modulated (sometimes called pulse-width modulation) for a more dynamic timbre.
Discussion
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A
pulse wave or
pulse train is a kind of non-sinusoidal
waveformWaveform means the shape and form of a signal such as a wave moving in a solid, liquid or gaseous medium.In many cases the medium in which the wave is being propagated does not permit a direct visual image of the form. In these cases, the term 'waveform' refers to the shape of a graph of the...
that is similar to a
square waveA square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels.- Origins and uses :...
, but does not have the symmetrical shape associated with a perfect square wave. It is a term common to
synthesizerAn analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of valve and electro-mechanical technologies...
programming, and is a typical waveform available on many synths. The exact shape of the wave is determined by the
duty cycleIn telecommunications and electronics, the duty cycle is the fraction of time that a system is in an "active" state. In particular, it is used in the following contexts:...
of the oscillator. In many synthesizers, the duty cycle can be modulated (sometimes called pulse-width modulation) for a more dynamic timbre.
The pulse wave is also known as the rectangular wave, the
periodicIn mathematics, a periodic function is a function that repeats its values in regular intervals or periods. The most important examples are the trigonometric functions, which repeat over intervals of length 2π...
version of the
rectangular functionThe rectangular function is defined as:It is a simple step function....
.
See also
- Rectangular function
The rectangular function is defined as:It is a simple step function....
- Sampling function
- Pulse-width modulation
Pulse-width modulation is a very efficient way of providing intermediate amounts of electrical power between fully on and fully off. A simple power switch with a typical power source provides full power only, when switched on...
- Sine wave
The sine wave or sinusoid is a function that occurs often in mathematics, music, physics, signal processing, audition, electrical engineering, and many other fields...
- Triangle wave
A triangle wave is a non-sinusoidal waveform named for its triangular shape.Like a square wave, the triangle wave contains only odd harmonics...
- Square wave
A square wave is a kind of non-sinusoidal waveform, most typically encountered in electronics and signal processing. An ideal square wave alternates regularly and instantaneously between two levels.- Origins and uses :...